The top 20 included Little Britain star David Walliams, who recently raised £1million for Sport Relief by swimming the Channel.

The survey was carried out by Thorpe Park, which is to name 20 seats on its new Stealth rollercoaster after the nation's favourite heroes.

The £12 million ride is the fastest in Europe. The Surrey amusement park is holding a charity auction offering members of the public the chance to have their names emblazoned on the seats alongside those of the celebrities. All proceeds go to the NSPCC.